The big news to come out of the NBA on Wednesday was that the league owners unanimously voted to begin expansion bidding for two new teams in Las Vegas and Seattle. There are still many hurdles to clear and many ripple effects that will come along with this news, but in terms of the actual locations, this could be a huge win for the Nuggets.
The team has enjoyed a great homecourt advantage for years, largely thanks to the altitude in Denver, but in reality, the team is in a tough spot as the majority of teams are on the two coasts, with the Nuggets stuck in mountain time.
It has created a brutal travel disadvantage that we’ve seen on full display this season. The team is constantly flying across different time zones, and with national TV partners wanting to get a look at Nikola Jokic and his squad, it has meant lots of back-to-backs and games with short rest after long travel.
This current stretch, with a game at Phoenix on Tuesday night at 9 PM MT, followed by a Wednesday night tilt in Dallas at 8 PM MT, is a perfect example of how the team is set up to fail by the league. And since things are based around a TV audience, many of the Nuggets’ marquee games are against West Coast teams with start times that make little sense for their actual location.
Expansion should add regional balance to the league
But with these two new teams being added to the Western Conference, that will hopefully change. We are likely looking at two 16-team conferences, with one team moving from West to East. The Nuggets’ current rivals are all far away in California, Texas, or far up north and east in Minnesota.
With expansion and realignment, we could see four divisions of four teams in each conference that make much more sense geographically, as the Nuggets will actually have somewhat nearby teams. A possible division with any of Utah, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, or even one of the Texas teams would be great for everyone involved.
No more “divisional rivalry” with Portland or Minnesota. No more burden to carry late-night games with two new teams on Pacific Time. Less travel and less wear and tear on the players’ bodies.
It may not seem like a big deal, and it is probably one of the smallest storylines around this potential expansion, but it could actually be a huge deal for the Nuggets that creates a much more favorable schedule in the future, with a better chance to actually reap the benefits of their great homecourt advantage.